Plant Protein Shifts Gears as Beyond Meat Enters Beverages

Beyond Meat’s new protein drinks hint at a broader strategy as plant-based meat growth cools

19 Jan 2026

Beyond Meat is moving beyond burgers as it looks for new sources of growth, launching a plant-based protein beverage in January 2026 in a limited, direct-to-consumer release.

The US group, best known for plant-based patties and sausages, is entering a category far removed from its core products. The cautious rollout, which avoids a nationwide supermarket launch, reflects an effort to test demand, branding and flavour before committing to scale.

The move comes as the wider plant-based food industry recalibrates. After years of rapid expansion driven by meat alternatives, growth has slowed. Higher prices, concerns over processing and shifting consumer expectations have weighed on sales since the pandemic surge.

Protein drinks and snacks, by contrast, continue to grow. Already popular with fitness and wellness consumers, they offer convenience and a simple value proposition: an easy protein boost without the need to replace meat at mealtimes. That flexibility has helped them outperform plant-based meat in recent years.

For Beyond Meat, the appeal is both commercial and strategic. Beverages are easier to ship, lend themselves to online sales and avoid some of the texture and taste challenges that have long faced plant-based meat producers. They also allow the company to position itself as a broader protein and nutrition brand rather than a pure meat alternative specialist.

Competition in the category is intense. Protein drinks are a crowded market, dominated by established brands and global food and beverage groups, including those backed by companies such as PepsiCo. Beyond Meat will need to stand out on flavour, nutritional profile and price, and show that early interest can be converted into repeat purchases.

The company’s experiment highlights a wider shift across the sector. As demand fragments, larger players are under pressure to diversify, while smaller groups may find opportunity as the boundaries between plant-based categories blur.

Beyond Meat’s move into beverages does not signal an exit from meat alternatives. Instead, it reflects a more measured phase for the industry, where growth depends less on a single breakout product and more on adapting to where consumer demand is proving most resilient.